Meditation Beginners: Four Things Keeping You From Success

You know that meditation can be helpful. You know it relieves stress, improves your intuition and is an all-around good thing to do. But for meditation beginners, creating a routine of meditation that you actually follow through on can be a bit of a challenge. And that can be frustrating and have you wanting to give up. Don’t do it!

I liken meditation to going to the gym or eating a healthy diet. You already know about the benefits and you know you should do it, but something still keeps you from following through. You tell yourself you will start tomorrow or next week. Or you just can’t seem to find the time. You want to make a change. So how can you break past this barrier?

Removing the barriers might actually be easier to do than you think. There are certain things that can keep us from enjoying the meditation practice that we want. Here are some common barriers that could be blocking your success, and how you can move past them.

Barrier 1: You don’t make time for meditation

Meditation beginners often make the mistake of not planning out their meditation practice. They want to enjoy the benefits and want things to flow so they don’t want to spoil things like setting a schedule. After all, that’s so logical. However, if you don’t make an appointment with yourself to meditate, chances are something will come up and you’ll keep putting your meditation practice off.

Come up with a time of day for meditation and stick with it. I meditate first thing in the morning. I’ve found that if I don’t start off my day with it, the day just seems off. Plus, by doing it first thing in the morning, I get it over with and I’m less likely to be thrown off track by something else.

Barrier 2: You allow in distractions

Everyone doesn’t have the ability to close the door to the world. You may have children, pets, or other situations where people are often around you. But are there steps you can take to keep others at bay if only for a few minutes?

I started off by meditating for only five minutes a day and gradually increased the amount of time I spent doing it. If you find it hard to get away from others, try meditating in the bathroom or for a few minutes in your car when you get home from work. If your children are older, let them — and others — know that you need time alone and you value your meditation time. That might even encourage them to try it too.

Also turn off the cell phone and put your cat in another room.

Barrier 3: You don’t create a structure

When I first started meditating, I had difficulties doing it because I just felt like I was sitting there waiting for something. I read a book that suggested using a timer to give yourself a set amount of time to meditate. Once I did that, it was so much easier because I knew that I just had to be still until the time went off.

To this day, I continue to use a timer. Meditation beginners can also adjust the amount of time spent meditating to a time that is comfortable to them.

Barrier 4: You think there’s a right way to meditate

The good thing about meditation is that there is no right or wrong way. There are many different types of meditation. You don’t have to sit in silence. Some people find that to be impossible. You can try guided meditations if you’d prefer to have someone walk you through the process. You can also try using meditation tapes to help you calm your mind.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different methods to see which works best for you.

Meditation beginners: don’t be frustrated. Sometimes the mere act of changing a few things in your life can make all the difference in the world.

PracticalWisdomThatWorks may receive compensation if users buy products or services mentioned or advertised on these sites or click on some of the links that are posted on these sites.